'Smear campaign' backfired: Anne Aly

Labor's candidate for Australia's most marginal seat of Cowan, in Perth, says negative comments from Liberal rivals about her anti-terrorism work have backfired.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan accused counter-terrorism expert Anne Aly of poor judgment for writing a letter that helped reduce the jail term for self-styled hate preacher Junaid Thorne, who she said was an ideal candidate for a deradicalisation program.

Other Liberals chimed in, including former prime minister John Howard.

"The few people who had heard about it and were paying attention to it told me that although they had been Liberal voters all their lives, that they were now voting Labor because they just didn't approve of the negative smear campaign," Ms Aly told reporters in Perth on Sunday.

"In some instances, it might have shored up some votes that were already going to go against me anyway."

The Muslim academic said she wanted to see less negativity and rancour in politics - and she could proudly say she didn't take any swipes at her rival, Luke Simpkins.